I have become extremely fond of bean salads. I'm not talking about the three-bean salads (always chickpeas, kidney beans and green beans) that were served at every family function of my childhood, which I found boring in the extreme. I'm talking about white bean salads with lots of seasonal vegetables, chickpea salads with some vegetables and a hint of cheese, that sort of thing. They are satisfying and you can make them as simple or as complex as you like. I was extremely happy when I found this recipe on the website La Buena Vida. It sounded delicious and I had every ingredient listed.I modified the recipe a bit to suit my circumstances. My daughter and I have been spring cleaning, starting with the kitchen, and it was in a certain amount of disarray, so rather than making wild leek pesto as the recipe calls for, I simplified it a bit and just lightly sauteed the leeks before adding them to the beans. It worked perfectly, and perhaps allowed the rest of the ingredients to shine through a bit more than they otherwise would have. You'll notice that there aren't any amounts included with the list of ingredients. I just added what looked like a good balance for my taste. If you don't have any wild leeks, you could use green onions, and you wouldn't need to cook them.

This would be a terrific buffet salad, or perfect to take on a picnic. If you were serving it to guests I would make it that day, but it was still delicious when I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning.White Beans with Radish, Walnuts and Wild Leeks

1. In a small skillet, heat s bit of olive oil until it shimmers. Add the wild leeks and saute until tender, about 5 minutes, perhaps less.

2. Rinse white beans and place into a bowl. Add thinly sliced radishes. Chop a handful of walnuts and add. Throw in some capers and fresh oregano leaves. Add about a teaspoon of vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve room temperature.